Animal-trap.



No. 775,264. 4 PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904. J. W. COLLINS.

ANIMAL TRAP.

N0 MODEL.

MIA/5325, MIN? 701?, A? d kw 9% BY MKW MTTORNEK UNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT ()EEicE.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,264, dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed August 22, 1904. serial No. 221,754. (No model.) i

To all whom, it party concern:

Be it'known that LJ ER EMIAH W. IoLLINs, of Sher-rill, in the county of Oneida, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in animal-traps of the gripping-jaw type in which the jaws are mounted upon a spring-base and are brought into action by a spring-tongue which is held in its tcnsioned position by a suitable platform and movable detent, so that when the platform is depressed the detent is tripped and allows the spring-tongue to close the jaws. The spring-tongue and base in this class of traps are usually riveted together, and it is found that one or the other of the parts frequently breaks near the rivet connection, which is due to the crystallization of the metal by concentration of the vibration near the riveting-point, where the connection is rigid. I have also found that these parts frequently break during the operation of assembling, which necessitates the laborious work of removing the rivets before the broken part can be renewed. In my present invention I have sought to prevent these breakages and to enable the spring-tongue to be secured to the base without rivets, but rather with interlocking lips or shoulders to permit the parts to be readily assembled or taken apart and at the same time to establish a gradually-shifting fulcrum for the spring-tongue as it is tensioned and released, so as to avoid any permanent rigid connection between the tongue and base.

Other objects and uses will appear in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved animal-trap shown in its open position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the trap seen in Fig. 1, showing the jaws in their closed position. Figs. 3, a, 5, 6, and

T are perspective views of portions of the tongue and base, showing modified means for locking said parts together.

In Figs. 1 and I have shown a base 1 and a tongue 2, both of which parts are formed of spring metal of substantially the same width. The base 1 has a central portion arched upwardly and its opposite extremities bent upwardly to form ears 3 and 4, each of which is formed with a pair of apertures 5 for receiving the pintles 6 of suitable gripping-jaws 7. The ear 4 of the base 1 is provided with an elongated slot 8 beneath the adjacent apertures 5, and through this slot is inserted one end 9 of the spring-tongue 2. The slot 8 is cut through the base of the ear 4 close to the main body of the base 1, but is of less length than the width of the base, so as to leave a sufficient amount of stock at each end of the slot to form a strong and durable junction of the ear 4; with the main body of the base. The adjacent end of the tongue lies flatwise upon the upper face of the base 1, close to the ear i, and is formed with a reduced extremity 9 of substantially the same width as and which is inserted through the slot 8 and is turned upwardly against the outer end face of the ear a. By reducing this extremity of the springtongue 2 suitable shoulders or abutting-faces 10 are formed, which engage the inner face of the ear 4 and, together with the upturned extension 9, hold the tongue from endwise movement, at the same time permitting the free end of the spring tongue to be rocked upwardly when the jaws are removed a sufiicient distance to permit the tang or extension 9 to be withdrawn from the slot 8. In other words, this end of the springtongue is hook-shaped and is hooked through the slot 8 into engagement with the ear 4:, so that the spring-tongue and base are detachably interlocked at one end with each other. The spring-tongue 2 extends forwardly and upwardly from its interlocking connection with the base 9 and is normally tcnsioned upwardly, so that its free end is normally disposed some distance above the pintles in the ear 3 and is provided with an opening 11 for receiving the adjacent ends of the jaws 7 and ears 3. \Vhen the trap is set, the free end of this spring 2 is depressed in a plane beneath the pintles 6 in the ear 3 and is held in this position by a suitable platform 12 and detent 13, so that when the platform is depressed the detent 13 is released and permits the 2 tongue D.

spring 2 to act upon the outer edges of the jaws 7 for closing the same. The platform 12 and detent 13 are mounted upon an arm 14:, which is secured to the base 1 substantially midway between the ears 3 and I. It is now seen that the only connection of the spring-arm 2 with the base 1 is where it enters the slot 8, and this being a sliding connection or fit it is evident that the bearing of the spring-arm 2 upon the upper face of the base 1 gradually shifts toward and away from said connection as the spring is elevated and depressed and instead of springing from a single rigid connection the connection is more or less yielding, and thus prevents any vibration at a fixed point, which would tend to crystallize the metal and cause it to break.

In Fig. 3 the base 1 is provided with an upturned ear 4 and cut-outs or slots 8, opening from the edges of the base at the base of the ear a, while the spring-tongue 2 is provided with upturned extensions or lips 9, which are passed through the slots 8 and engage the end face of the ear 4:, the portion of the spring 2 between the lips 9 being cut.

away so as to form an abutment, which engages the inner face of the ear 4, which, together with the lips 9, prevent endwise movement of the base and spring-tongue relative to each other. This spring-tongue 2 may also be detached from the base by simply rocking it upward and drawing the hook-shaped portions 9 out of the slots 8.

In Fig. 4 a base A is provided with a re duced extension or hook a, which enters a slot 7) in an upturned extremity Z) of a springtongue B, the upturned extremity a being provided with apertures a for receiving the pintles of the jaws 7.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a portion of a base C having an upturned extremity c and an inwardly-projecting lip 0, with which is interlocked an upturned extremity (Z of a spring- In this instance the lip 0 overhangs the upturned extremity (Z, and both of the upturned extremities 0 and (Z are formed with apertures (Z to receive the adjacent pinties of the jaws '7.

In Fig. 6 I have shown portions of a base E and spring-tongue F, both of which have upturned extremities e and f, with apertures j", which receive the adjacent pintles of the jaws 7 and in this instance these pintles operate to lock the parts 0 and f.

In Fig. 7 I have shown portions of a base G and a tongue H, the part G having an upturned ear g and interlocking lips g, which are cut from the main body and ear 9 and are pressed forwardly a sufficient distance to permit the insertion of portions h of the tongue .H between the lips g and main body G, said tongue being also provided with an upward extension h, fitting between the lips g and against the inner end face of the ear g, and, together with the parts it, prevent endwise movement of the parts G and H one upon the other.

In all of these modifications it will be observed that the tongue may be readily interlocked with or detached from the base and that when the parts are assembled it is not possible to remove the tongue from the base without detaching the jaws from said base.

hen it is desired to repair the device or replace any broken part, the pintles at the ends of the jaws may be sprung inwardly out of their bearings, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereupon the jaws may be removed and the spring-tongue may also be detached from the base.

It will now be seen that one of the essential features ofmy invention is that the spring 2 is free from rigid securement from end to end, and for this reason it is safer in a wider range of tempers and avoids breakage of springs of inferior temper, which would soon become broken if riveted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. In an animal-trap of the class described, the combination of a base of a spring-tongue detachably interlocked at one end with one end of the base.

2. In an animal-trap of the class described, a spring-base and a spring-tongue detachably interlocked at one end with one end of the spring-base, in combination with jaws pivotally connected to the ends of the base, a platform and detent for holding the jaws in their open position.

3. In an animal-trap, the combination of a supporting-base and a spring-tongue, one of the parts having a hook-shape extremity interlocking with the adjacent end of the other part.

4:. In an animal-trap of the class described, the combination of a spring-base and a springtongue having sliding interlocking connection with one end of the base.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of August, 1904.

JEREMIAH W. COLLINS. i/Vitnesses:

STEPHEN R. LEONARD, MYRoN H. KINSLEY.

IIO 

